


Peace In A Storm

by 4everunknown



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Loss, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:29:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22789525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4everunknown/pseuds/4everunknown
Summary: Harry feels as though things will never be the same. And they won’t.But Dumbledore, despite his year of absence — is finally there.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore & Harry Potter, Sirius Black & Harry Potter
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	Peace In A Storm

**Author's Note:**

> A roughly written moment

“... 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴... 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴...”

The final words swirled through the air before finally becoming an echo. After a minute that lasted an eternity, the deathly silence was broken by a soft trill from Fawkes, who, at some point Harry wasn’t aware of, had abandoned his perch and come to rest on the edge of Dumbledore’s desk instead. 

He had been too far away to notice. Even now, still, he felt so very far away. Floating... unaware of how his body really felt, or how his feet felt resting against the floor. It was only gravity holding him to the ground now, but he found he didn’t care.  
He distantly wondered if he’d ever feel normal again... 

His heart miraculously continued to thump in his chest, as the words of the prophecy refused to leave his mind.

Harry’s eyes numbly gazed around Dumbledore’s office, scattered with broken pieces of many silver trinkets, without really seeing. Without really feeling. He knew, if he let himself feel it — he wouldn’t know how it would ever stop.

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭...  
His hand reached up on instinct, and his fingertips brushed against his scar, which, only an hour earlier had been burning so badly he thought his head would split open. He pulled his hand away quickly, feeling repulsed.  
He was marked, left scarred with a memory that people would gawk at, would awe at, and would be fascinated by. It wasn’t something that was unusual to him after all this time. But now, he truly understood the significance of the scar. 

It was the physical mark that linked him to Voldemort, who had taken so much from him. And now he understood that it would always be that, until one of them killed the other. In his numb mind, this thought stuck out in stark contrast. 

Fawkes blinked softly at him. The image was too familiar. Harry shook his head as memories that were usually held behind a wall in his mind came flooding to the surface. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥-𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵-𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴-𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵-𝘊𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘤-𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭.

“Harry?” 

Harry’s eyes snapped towards Dumbledore’s and found a sea of emotion within them. Though his voice was soft, the way he had said his name, just his name, sent Harry’s strength finally crumbling. 

“So-So... That means that night, in Godricks Hollow, it wasn’t them he was after. It was never them. It was me, it was always me... Voldemort was after me and that means they 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 because of me. They could’ve lived-“ His breathing became difficult again. 

“No, Harry,” said Dumbledore. “They loved you more than anything they have ever known before. That love is far more fierce, far stronger than anything in existence. Out of their love for you, they chose to do the thing that made the most sense to them in their lives, and protect you. It is this power and quality of love, that has clearly passed onto you, their son.” His voice wavered at the end, and Fawkes gave another trill. Dumbledore reached out a hand and touched the brightly coloured plumage. 

Harry closed his eyes. “If I had not gone to save Sirius, he wouldn’t have died... Because I cared,” 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 “He’s dead.” Dumbledore looked at him, looking more sad than he had the entire conversation, as if he had known what Harry had truly meant, and bowed his head. Harry ploughed on, desperate to maintain the numbness. Too scared to feel. 

“What good does it do, to care? When all it does is get people in danger. How am I supposed to keep going, when everyone around me dies? My parents — Cedric, and S-Sirius — what about Hermione, and Ron? And the Weasleys? They’re in danger because of me. They’ve almost died because of me! They’ve come so close, and — and... I can’t lose them, too.” Said Harry. The heat in his voice had left by the end of the sentence. 

“I have watched you grow, Harry, more closely than you know, from the first time you stepped foot in this castle. You have turned from a kind young boy, thrown into a world that you have never known, and into a brave, caring person. You have faced more burdens than any other student I have ever seen pass through these halls. You have succeeded, despite many odds... And, though you may not want to hear it in this moment, I am prouder than I can say. 

You have faced many challenges grown men would cower at, and you have done so brilliantly. You have done so while protecting your friends, and those you care about, out of love. You have formed bonds and friendships that run deeper than one can imagine. Your friends are your strength, as you well know. I am not the only one you have made proud. 

You have experienced far more than a grown mans fight. You have seen tragedy, and felt pain. You were treated poorly by your relatives, who more than anyone, should have cared for you. I watched as you struggled to repel dementors, as you learned of who Sirius truly was, and saved him. Young you might be, you had already proved exceptional. You have seen death, and escaped death so narrowly yourself.

This year, I left you alone... I have made mistakes when it has come to concern you Harry, but this is one of my greatest. I should have been here for you this year, as your friends were. 

There are many good, brave people in the world, like the friends you choose to keep. That, amongst other things, is why I choose to fight. I have felt loss, deeply, as you have. I know how you are feeling. And I will not make the same mistakes and lose you as I have lost them. I have grown to care about you too much.”

He let words hang in the air for a while, and Dumbledore watched as he saw the last of Harry’s walls finally crumble.

Harry felt as the numb began to seep away, and emotion slowly crept in. His throat felt tight, and his chest hollow. How was he supposed to cope? How would he move on, and keep living? What was he supposed to do now, after Sirius had died and knowing more danger would be following him into an unforeseen future? Something must have shown on his face, because Dumbledore stood up and swept around the desk to kneel by Harry’s side and put a hand on his shoulder. Up close Harry could see Dumbledore’s cheeks and beard were quite wet, and Harry took in a shuddering breath that took more effort than it should have. He had a feeling they would be harder than usual for a while. 

“You are not alone, Harry.”


End file.
